Curricular Practical Training (CPT) Policy

Definition of CPT

The purpose of curricular practical training is to permit students to gain additional knowledge and skills in the workplace which would not be available from on-campus studies. Curricular practical training is an option recognized by the Immigration and Naturalization Service. As such, it permits international students to hold appropriate full-time, off-campus employment for a period of less than one year during the course of their regular studies.

Specific interpretation of eligibility for participation in this option is handled at USU by the Office of Global Engagement (OGE). The current regulation is that students may participate in the option if they register for a CS co-operative work experience course concurrently with their employment. For more information on these courses, see OGE's CPT policy document.

International graduate students are not permitted to participate in curricular practical training unless they have formed their graduate committee and have the approval of their committee chair. If it appears that the employment will unduly delay the student's completion of the degree or will interfere with the student's research as part of a research team, the advisor will not approve it.

CPT will only be approved for the period of one semester at a time. Students will have to file all the paperwork for additional participation, including co-operative work experience course enrollment and renewed permission from the committee chair (in the case of graduate students), each semester, including summer.

Students will be required to register for at least three credits of the appropriate co-operative work experience course during each semester in which they work, including summer.